Catherine the Great

 These copper coins produced under the mighty Catherine the Great (Catherine II) of Russia are easily one of the largest copper coins that ever saw regular use—at a massive ~51 grams, they're almost twice as heavy as a US silver dollar.

To this day, Catherine II remains Russia's longest ruling female leader—despite the fact that she wasn't actually Russian and her name wasn't really Catherine. Born Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst to an impoverished Prussian prince, she charmed her way into the royal family and married the future Russian emperor Peter III at the age of just 16.

But Peter and Catherine's marriage was not a happy one. After Peter took the throne, Catherine almost immediately began planning his overthrow. Peter ended up abdicating just six months into his reign, and just like that Catherine was now Empress of Russia.

By most accounts, the Catherinian Era is considered the Golden Age of Russia. Catherine supported the ideas of the Enlightenment, and was a devoted patron of the arts. She also lead the modernization of Russia and helped found the country's first higher education institution for women.

These beautiful 5 kopeks coins are an iconic piece of Catherine's rule. They depict the date and empress' initials on the obverse ("E" and "T", for Ekaterina Tsarina), and a Romanov double-headed eagle surrounding St. George slaying a dragon on the reverse. Each has been thoroughly inspected for authenticity and is guaranteed genuine.

An oil painting of Catherine the Great (1780's)